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Tad and Liza met up at WRCW to discuss their failed love lives. Liza told Tad that Adam had rejected her once again, and she had been forced to tell him to stay away from her and her unborn child. Tad got a quizzical look on his face just before he made a stunning announcement. If Adam thought that Tad fathered Liza's child, they should just go along with him. Tad said that the easiest way to keep Liza's life calm would be to tell everyone that Tad was the baby's father. That way Adam would not harass Liza any more, and she could have a healthy, stress-free pregnancy.

Liza didn't care for the idea and told Tad that his idea was prompted by his rage for Dimitri. They both laughed and said that it was amazing that one of them had not committed murder yet. Tad retired for the night, but Liza decided to stick around the station. With no one else in the building, she pulled out a copy of the latest National Intruder. Its cover story was about the breakup of the Chandlers.

Adam placed urgent phone calls to Dixie to arrange for a fishing trip with Junior, or A.J. as he preferred to be called. The trip was scratched when Adam couldn't get permission for the trip. The rage caused by his inability to visit with his son further fueled Adam's rage toward Liza. He contemplated a phone call to his attorney to expedite his divorce proceedings.

As Adam ranted over the phone, Marian entered the room. She begged Adam to reconsider his decision to divorce her daughter. Marian claimed that she was not looking out for herself -- although a continued marriage would allow Marian to keep her hand in the cookie jar. She said that Adam and Liza loved each other and that there was no reason why they could not raise Liza's child together. It would give Adam the chance to "do it right," Marian added. Adam heard his mother-in-law out, but it didn't mean that he listened to what she had to say. At the conclusion of Marian's lecture, Adam yelled at Marian and told her to get to bed and enjoy what would be her last night at Chandler Mansion.

Jack gave Erica her locket, one that contained a photo of Bianca. Erica was pleased to be reunited with her most beloved piece of jewelry. She hoped that she could take it with her to prison, but Jack told her that she wouldn't be allowed to take any valuables. Jack said that he would wait for Erica to be released from jail so that they could rekindle their love, but Erica advised Jack not to wait for her. Jack begged Erica not to throw away the "best thing that's happened in six months."

Before Erica could offer a reply, the guard arrived at the cell and announced that it was time for Erica to be transported to the county lockup. The handcuffs were placed on Erica's wrists, and she received words of encouragement and support from her friends. Myrtle pledged weekly visits, and Belinda called Erica's decision to take the blame "courageous." Just before Erica walked out, Jack reminded her that he loved her.

With Erica's case out of the way, life could return to normal for all those involved in the case. Trevor looked forward to spending time with his kids. Jack escorted Myrtle home, and both expressed fears that prison life might change Erica forever. Trevor and Belinda had planned to stop by Holidays for a drink, but disastrous news prevented them from leaving. On their way out of the police station, they overheard a police officer discussing a plane crash. When Belinda learned that the flight had originated in New York, she immediately feared for Janet's safety. Trevor wasn't so concerned. He was sure that Janet had taken a train into town. Belinda told him that Janet had been scheduled to leave on a plane -- the same flight that had crashed.

The twisted heap of metal on top of a rocky cliff looked nothing like an airplane. Sparks sizzled in the dark of night, and a small fire burned in one corner of the woods. Brooke hobbled into the wreckage to see if Edmund showed signs of life. With much effort, Jim and Brooke were able to remove Edmund from the crash scene and place him in a clearing. His pulse was faint, but he was able to breathe on his own. Jim said that he had seen a light in the distance just before the plane went down. Hopefully he could make it to a house where he could phone for help.

Jim made it to an abandoned cottage. He gained access to the house by using a credit card to jimmy the lock open. Once inside, he placed a call to the emergency operator and begged for them to send help. After Jim raced off to find help, Brooke tried to coax Edmund out of unconsciousness. She begged him not to die.

Another sound of life cut through the smoke-filled air: a baby's cry. Brooke knew the cries belonged to Madelyn, and she raced off to rescue the baby. She slowly and carefully stepped back into the mangled fuselage and hunted for the baby. She found the baby in the rear of the plane, a section that was teetering on the brink of disaster. When the plane crashed down on the mountaintop, the rear portion of the plane had been left dangling over the edge. Every unprovoked motion sent the plane one step closer to tumbling over the edge of the cliff and into the water below.

The sound of Brooke's voice roused Maria from the darkness. Maria tried to wiggle free from the death grip placed on her by the wreckage, but each motion she made caused more and more debris to fall on top of her. Maria begged Brooke to save Madelyn. Brooke reluctantly agreed to leave Maria behind. She took the baby into her arms and returned her to the clearing. There she put her in a padded suitcase for protection. By that time, Jim had returned to the scene. Brooke pleaded with him to help save her friend from the wreckage.

Together, Brooke and Jim returned to rear of the plane and devised a plan to rescue Maria. Together, Brooke and Jim pulled the largest chunk of wreckage off of Maria's legs. Maria was then able to clear most of the debris off of her body, but she remained hopelessly trapped in the plane. As Brooke continued her efforts to save Maria, the plane moved perilously close to careening over the edge.

On the ground, a portion of Skye's note could be seen. Silently, Maria prayed to the Blessed Mother to look after her and asked God not to let Edmund die without knowing that he was Madelyn's father. A loud rumble moaned from within the wreckage. Jim pulled Brooke out of the plane. Brooke fought against his grip, pleading with him not to desert Maria. As Brooke screamed in horror, the plane sank slowly backwards. Several more sparks flew as the plane fell over the edge of the cliff and into the water below.

I usually do not include a personal commentary within the Daily Recaps, but today I feel the need to include one. Today's edition of All My Children had to be one of the most painful episodes to watch. The body of work today was exceptional. The performances displayed by the various actors and actresses hit levels never before seen on daytime television. The painful looks on the characters' faces when they realized that someone they loved had been involved in a plane crash cut through me. These powerful performances are what makes daytime television the most outstanding form of entertainment on television.

Trevor couldn't imagine Janet taking a "puddle hopper" flight into town. She surely would have taken a large jetliner. Belinda rummaged through her purse to find the information on Janet's flight. Since no one knew that Janet and Brooke had swapped flights, Belinda feared that Janet was on the flight that was reported missing. Trevor tried to get details from an officer, but the cop was too involved in a phone call with another police agency to answer Trevor's questions.

Once the officer had gotten off of the phone, he told the two attorneys that the flight had been circling the Jersey Shore area while awaiting clearance to land at Pine Valley International airport. During that time, it had vanished from radar. That was all the information that he could release. Trevor called the airline, but all he got was a busy signal. Trevor decided to head to the airport. Belinda offered her help, but Trevor told her that the best thing she could do was to pray.

Mateo and Hayley watched anxiously as the restaurant critic's review aired on the evening news. Holidays received a "5 Peppercorn" rating, the highest rating possible. Matt and Hayley celebrated their rave review with a little romance. While in the midst of a romantic embrace, Hayley's eye caught a special report bulletin airing on the television. She broke the kiss Mateo had planted on her lips and turned up the volume. The news report informed the viewing public of the plane crash. Mateo jumped to his feet and fumbled through scraps of paper on his nightstand. As he listened to the report, he realized that Edmund, Maria, and Madelyn were on the flight that had crashed.

Amanda and Tim played a game of Twister. Tim had had enough of the body-contorting game, and Mike told Amanda that it was time for bed. Tim went to check his email as Amanda teased him that he was waiting for a "kissy kissy" letter from Rosa Santos. Before calling it a night, Amanda asked her Uncle Mike if wishes came true. If they did, she said that she wanted her Mommy and Daddy to live together under one roof. Trevor called Mike to tell him to keep the kids away from the radio and television. He explained that a plane had crashed -- and that Janet had been on the flight.

Shortly after everyone was supposed to be in bed, Amanda slipped downstairs for some late-night television. Tim heard the crunching of a plastic cellophane snack bag and went downstairs to investigate the noise. Amanda turned up the volume as she saw something "really bad" on the news. By then, Michael had also gone downstairs and tried to turn off the television before Amanda heard about the plane crash. However, when the reporter announced that the flight had originated in New York, Amanda recalled that Janet had gone to New York for a business trip/vacation. Her mouth dropped as she feared that Janet might have been injured in the crash.

Dimitri carried his new bride across the threshold of his hotel room. He offered her a host of luxuries as the new Mrs. Marick, but somehow nothing could cheer up Gloria. She told Dimitri that she had talked to Tad before moving out of Myrtle's. She added that she had given Tad back the engagement ring. Dimitri wished that he had been with Gloria to help her deal with Tad, but said that Gloria had done the right thing by returning the ring. They could both start a new future together.

A reporter from the Pine Valley Bulletin phoned Dimitri and broke the news of the plane crash. Dimitri wasn't immediately clued in on why the reporter was calling him. It wasn't until the reporter began asking questions about Edmund's travel itinerary that Dimitri knew what had happened. He told Gloria that Edmund and Maria's plane had gone down and said that he was going to fly his private helicopter to the crash scene to help transport the injured to local hospitals. Gloria offered to go along, hoping that her nursing skills could be used to help save a life.

At the airport, Laura and Scott waited for Brooke's flight to arrive. She and Scott grabbed a bite to eat and played a few video games at the arcade to pass the time. Her mood was calm as she still had no idea that Brooke had taken an earlier flight. A voice over the public address system called out Laura's name and asked that she pick up a courtesy call to receive an important message. Laura headed to the phones and learned that Brooke had changed flights. That meant that she should be arriving in Pine Valley any minute -- should be. Laura looked at the computer monitors to check on the status of Brooke's flight. Her heart skipped a few beats when she saw "See Agent" flashing alongside the flight number on the arrivals board.

The lives of everyone in Pine Valley were about to change. Slowly, friends and family of the passengers aboard the commuter flight gathered at the terminal. Trevor arrived at the airport and added more bad news to Laura's load. He told her that Janet had also been on the doomed flight. Dimitri put in a brief appearance to see if any new information was available on the flight. He told Trevor that he and Gloria were flying to the crash scene to help in the rescue process.

Laura feared that the two women in her life had been taken away from her. Mateo and Hayley were the next to arrive at the airport. Hayley considered tossing her famous father's name around to help get more answers. Mateo refused to let her use Adam's name to get special treatment. Trevor sat on a bench and feared that Amanda would lose another -- her third -- mother. He begged God not to "do this to Amanda" and concluded by asking not to "do this to us."

Janet's flight arrived in Pine Valley, and she walked off the plane. She put her bag down next to Trevor and, after looking around and seeing that Trevor was sitting next to her, asked him what was going on. Trevor said nothing. He walked to Janet and wrapped his arms around her. Janet thought that Trevor might have been "hittin' the sauce," but Trevor explained the reason for his relief. Janet was devastated by the news. She felt that she had given Brooke a death sentence by switching flights with her.

Laura saw Janet and ran across the terminal to give her a hug. Janet apologized to Laura for switching tickets with Brooke. She said that Brooke had been worried about Laura and had wanted to return early to be with her. Laura's eyes welled with tears. It was her fault, she sobbed, that Brooke had crashed. Had she not been acting like a spoiled brat, Brooke would never have been on that flight.

A spokesperson for the airline issued a statement to the people gathered at the terminal. He told them that several survivors had been located at the crash scene. They were Jim Thomason, Brooke English, Edmund Grey, and an infant. A heavy weight lifted off of Laura's heart. Mateo asked if his sister had been found. She had been, after all, sitting right next to Edmund. The agent flipped through his papers and lowered his head. After several seconds, he was able to look Mateo in the face and give him the bad news. Anyone whose name had not been read had not survived the crash.

At the crash scene, Brooke insisted that Maria could still be alive. Jim had to hold her back to prevent her from getting dangerously close to the cliff's edge. Jim forced Brooke to turn her focus away from Maria. They two of them teamed together to carry Edmund and Madelyn back to the cottage. Once they had finished the transport, Brooke demanded to return to the crash scene to look for Maria.

Jim phoned the emergency service and asked why they were taking so long to arrive. Edmund coughed several times and hovered on the brink of consciousness. But his body gave in, and he once again collapsed. Choppers could be heard overhead, and Dimitri and Gloria soon arrived on the scene. Gloria tended to Edmund's wounds and diagnosed his situation as critical.

Dimitri was relieved that the baby and his brother had survived. He looked around for Maria, but couldn't find her. Brooke didn't have the heart to tell Dimitri that Maria was dead. Jim returned from the crash scene and told Dimitri and Brooke that there were no other survivors. Dimitri promised Brooke that he would return to the scene and find Maria. Edmund slowly came around again and called out Brooke's name. Edmund grabbed Brooke's hand and told her that he didn't want to leave until Maria was there with him.

Waves of guilt began to haunt Janet. She felt responsible for switching flights with Brooke. She asked herself why she had been allowed to live when Maria, a mother of two, had been killed. Trevor told Janet that it was not her time and added that he had already had a lifetime full of saying too many goodbyes.

From Isabella's, Hayley placed a phone call to the hospital to check on Edmund's condition. She wasn't given much information to go on. She was issued the usual "form response" and told that the family could receive more information in person. Mateo looked all over for his mother, but he was not able to find her. Then he realized that his mother was probably at the farmers' market. Every year, Isabella made homemade preserves during the third week of August. His mother, blissfully unaware that her world was about to crumble, had gone on with her daily routine as if nothing was wrong.

Mateo and Hayley discussed how they would break the news to Isabella. However, with such tragic news, there really was no "right way" to tell her. They both cast their eyes on a photo from Noah and Julia's wedding. Things had been so happy back then, Mateo reminisced. As they further discussed the situation, Isabella returned home. She overheard the discussion and broke into tears. Isabella, already struck by the death of her husband and the departure of two daughters, refused to give up hope that her daughter might be alive. The mother grieved for her child and offered her own life for that of her daughter's.

Mateo told Isabella that Maria was gone and that Isabella needed to be strong for her grandchildren. Suddenly, Isabella remembered that Madelyn had survived the crash. Isabella demanded to be taken to the hospital to see Madelyn. As Isabella gathered her things together, Mateo asked a painful question. He told Hayley that his mother had always lived by the motto "God never gives more than one can handle." He asked what his mother would think about God.

Amanda feared the worst. She called Janet's room at the Valley Inn in the hope that her mother was safe and sound in bed. There was no answer. This sent Amanda into a tizzy, fearing that she had lost yet another mother. Suddenly, Janet and Trevor returned home. Amanda raced to Janet and gave her a big bear hug. Janet didn't understand why Amanda was so upset until Michael told her that Amanda had caught a newsflash on the plane crash. Janet told Amanda that she was a very brave girl.

The five year-old cocked her head to one side and asked how she could she be "brave" when she had been so scared. Janet told her daughter that everyone got scared -- even her mommy and daddy. That caused Amanda to wonder what her parents might worry about. Janet said that she and Trevor worried that Amanda might be unhappy. Amanda said that she was never unhappy when Janet was around.

Amanda made Janet promise to never leave her, a promise that Janet couldn't make. Janet did, however, say that she would never stop loving Amanda and watching out for her. Janet added that when her it was her time to go to heaven, she would still keep an eye on Amanda -- even when Amanda was an "old, gray-haired granny." Janet decided that it was time to return to the Valley Inn, wash up, and get some rest. Amanda refused to let her mother leave and asked Trevor to make Janet stay. Trevor nodded and asked Janet to stay with them.

Jake and Allie exited Edmund's room and briefed Dimitri and Brooke on Edmund's condition. They said that things weren't as serious as they had thought. Edmund had suffered a concussion and had a nasty laceration on his head, but other than that, he was expected to make a full recovery. Allie asked to take Madelyn to an examining room, but Brooke was hesitant to let the baby out of her sight. Allie assured Brooke that it was a routine checkup, but only after Jake agreed to tag along did Brooke agree to the idea.

Laura and Scott arrived on the scene. Laura gave Brooke a hug and said how glad she was to see Brooke safe and sound. Scott offered to contact Father Claude, the Santos family priest, to help Edmund deal with the grief of losing his wife. Dimitri and Brooke avoided eye-to-eye contact. It was then that Scott realized that no one had told Edmund about Maria's death. The doctor in charge of Edmund's care exited the hospital room and told the gathered friends that Edmund was asking for his wife. Dimitri offered to break the news to Edmund, but Brooke felt it best that Edmund hear the news from her.

Laura and Scott went to the hospital chapel to talk about the grief of losing a loved one. Both had lost their mothers, and both were thankful that they had not lost any loved ones in the crash. Scott left Laura alone to pray. In her prayers, Laura admitted that she had, at one time, lost her belief in God. She wanted to know how God could take her mother from her. However, she had rethought her stand and realized how fortune she was. She thanked God for not taking Brooke from her.

Brooke entered Edmund's room, still not fully aware of how -- or what -- she would tell him. She gently stroked his cheek. Edmund's eyes fluttered open and he called out Brooke's name. The events of the night before had been erased from Edmund's mind. He remembered hearing a loud noise... and then seeing darkness. Brooke told him that the plane had lost an engine and crashed into a mountaintop.

There was a man, she continued, that had helped rescue him from the wreckage. Brooke said that she had heard the sounds of a baby, and Edmund went into panic. He asked if he had lost his daughter. Brooke assured Edmund that Madelyn was safe and sound. Edmund knew that something was wrong. He wondered why no one had answered his questions about Maria. Brooke told Edmund that she had talked with Maria after the crash. it was Maria who begged Brooke to rescue the baby from the wreckage.

Brooke said that after Maria learned that both Edmund and Madelyn were safe, Maria had been overcome by a look of peace. The plane had gone down an embankment, Brooke finished as tears welled in her eyes. Edmund began choking, and torrents of emotion swept over him. He struggled to sit up in bed and screamed Maria's name as loudly as he could. Brooke tried to restrain him, but her own crying weakened her ability to control Edmund. She took him in her arms as Edmund continued to scream for his wife. A flurry of doctors raced into the room and sedated Edmund before he hurt himself.

Isabella, Mateo, and Hayley arrived at the hospital and regained custody of Madelyn. Isabella held the baby in her arms and commented on how Madelyn had "Maria's beautiful eyes." The trio went to Edmund's room to assure him that they would look after Sam and Madelyn. Edmund didn't want Madelyn out of his sight, but he knew that no harm would befall his daughter while under his family's care. After they left, a teary-eyed Dimitri opened the door to Edmund's room. He stood there, tears rolling down his cheek, as Edmund turned his head and looked at his brother.

Tad debated whether or not he should tell his father about Maria's death. The family decided that it might be best to break the news to him after his surgery. Tad stuck his head in Joe's room to see if it was okay for Kelsey to visit. While Tad was gone, Kelsey bumped into Kevin and learned that he was on his way to another session with Dr. Chapman. Kelsey was told that she could visit with her grandfather, but during the visit, she got some disturbing news.

Allie dropped by to tell Joe that someone needed to talk to him about Dr. Chapman. Kelsey recognized the name, but couldn't understand why the therapist's name caused everyone to frown. Everyone took turns coloring the doctor as a "quack" and someone who didn't deserve to be called doctor. Dr. Craig, the cardiac surgeon who has been tending to Joe's condition, granted permission to Allie to observe the surgery. That allowed the Martin family to have an "inside man" -- or woman as the case might be.

Ruth and Joe were given a few moments alone. But those few moments seemed to go by quickly. Joe only wanted to discuss his will and to give Ruth instructions on how to carry on when -- not if -- he died. Ruth demanded that Joe stop talking so negatively, but Joe had his mind set on disaster. Ruth claimed that Joe was feeling sorry for himself and told him that he was going to pull through the surgery. Tad returned, but Joe didn't really want to see Tad. He wanted to see Tad and Gloria -- together.

Tad told his father that he didn't think Gloria would be able to make it. No sooner had the words left his mouth than Gloria appeared. Joe begged the two not to give up on their love. No matter what happened to him, Joe stated, he wanted Tad and Gloria to promise that they would try to get back together. Gloria promised that she would and then returned to her duties. Tad followed Gloria out and thanked her for not shattering his father's dreams. Gloria told Tad that she loved Joe and would never hurt him. Besides, she said, she hadn't lied to Joe, she had just told him the parts of the truth that wouldn't hurt him.

In another room at Pine Valley Hospital, Dimitri told his brother that his heart went out to Edward. Dimitri said that he could never know how Edmund felt, but that he wanted to do whatever he could to help Edmund. Edmund issued no reply. Dimitri turned to walk away, but he was stopped when Edmund asked him to stay. The request was soft and barely audible, but Dimitri heard it and walked over to the bed. Edmund said that he wasn't sure what had happened after the crash and asked if Dimitri could fill in the blanks for him.

Dimitri told Edmund that he had taken his private chopper to the crash scene and transported Edmund to the hospital. Edmund was overwhelmed. He couldn't believe that his brother had saved his life. Dimitri corrected Edmund by saying that it was Brooke and another passenger who had actually saved Edmund. He added that Edmund would have done the same for him if the situation had merited it. Numbed by medication, Edmund said that he couldn't feel anything. Dimitri offered to take care of the funeral arrangements for Edmund.

Kelsey lunched with Opal at Holidays and learned more about Kevin's therapist. Opal explained that Kevin had been confused by all the turmoil in his life and that Dr. Chapman was going to help "correct" Kevin's sexuality. Kelsey commented that a person's sexuality couldn't be changed, but Opal disagreed. She told Kelsey that Kevin should come around soon and that when he did, he'd see that there was someone he loved right under his nose.

Brooke returned to the airport with her mind set on getting some answers. She broke into the front of the line at the ticket counter and demanded that she be given some information on why the flight had gone down. When the agent told her that he couldn't help her, Brooke grabbed his microphone and stood up on the ticket counter. She told the assembled passengers, waiting to board their flight, that she had been on the flight that crashed. She warned them of the dangers of flying on an airline that didn't know why its plane had crashed. Before Brooke could go on, a representative from customer service switched off the power to her microphone. The woman told Brooke that she was a big "fan" of Tempo and how relieved she was that Brooke had survived the crash.

Brooke wasn't flattered by the meaningless praise and asked the woman for details on the crash. The woman explained that the airline would be holding a press conference in several hours and that she couldn't say anything before that time. Brooke sighed and commented that the airline's spin doctors were probably struggling to salvage the airline's image in the wake of the crash. The representative offered Brooke some time with the airline's grief counselor, but that offer seemed like more of an insult to Brooke and Jim, who had followed Brooke to the airport. Brooke told the lady that she was going to do some "giant killing" -- and that meant that Tempo was probably going to lose one reader.

Back at the hospital, Dimitri called the florist to make arrangements for Maria's memorial. He asked that one yellow rose -- a symbol for friendship -- be discreetly placed in one of the arrangements. Gloria entered the room and told Dimitri that he should get some rest. Dimitri refused to rest... at least not until he had fulfilled his promise to Edmund. As Dimitri began to cry, it became extremely noticeable that Gloria was having a hard time showing the type of compassion and love that she should be giving to her husband. As she gave Dimitri a hug, Tad entered the room. He saw Gloria and Dimitri embracing and stormed out of the room.

Brooke returned to Tempo and took it upon herself to call a press conference to discuss the airplane crash and what Tempo was going to do to expose the airline for its poor consumer relations. Jim advised Brooke to go home and rest, but she refused. Phoebe slowly walked into the office and said how happy she was to see Brooke. Brooke apologized for not calling her aunt, but said that she had been so frantic that she'd had little time to do anything.

Phoebe nodded. She said that she could tell Brooke's mind was elsewhere. After all, Brooke hadn't even returned home to change her clothing. Jim allowed the two women to talk in private. Phoebe worried that Brooke might be overdoing it and asked if Brooke had spoken to Jamie. Brooke explained that Jamie was away at the shore with a friend's family and that he had no idea what had happened. It was better that way, she added. If Jamie were to see her, all he'd have to do was to look in her eyes to know that something was wrong.

In the final few moments before Joe's surgery, Ruth made Joe make her a promise. She told him that one of his favorite "old timer" bands was going to be playing in the park over the Labor Day holiday. Ruth asked Joe to be there with her for the first dance. Joe clutched his wife's hand and told her that he would be there with her. Two hospital workers entered the room with the gurney and readied Joe for transport to surgery. He warned them to "drive carefully" because he has a "hot date [he] can't miss."

Edmund drifted in and out of sleep. He felt the warmth of light surrounding his body, causing him to open his eyes. When he did, he saw his beloved wife standing before him. Edmund told Maria that she was supposed to always be with him. She smiled gently and told Edmund that she would always be with him -- when Maddie lost her first tooth or when Sam became a father -- she'd always be there. There was something that she needed Edmund to do. Edmund nodded slowly and said that he would do anything for her. "Remember me," she said softly as the light around her grew brighter. And then she was gone.

Jim placed a call to someone and told the person that the plane crash was the "best thing to happen" to him. As Jim finished his phone call, a reporter from the Pine Valley Bulletin recognized Jim and asked him for a statement on the crash. Jim didn't give a statement -- his only statement was telling the reported to buzz off.

At Holidays, Kevin stumbled onto Kelsey and Opal's conversation. Opal, still under the assumption that Kevin and Kelsey would soon be an item, made herself scarce. She told Kelsey that she was going to go to the hospital. If there were any word on Joe, she would call. Kelsey confessed to Kevin that she was very worried about her grandfather. Even though Kevin offered assurance, Kelsey still feared that a knife "might slip" and end Joe's life. Kevin concocted a plan that would allow Kelsey to return to the hospital -- a place her family told her was off-limits until after Joe's surgery.

Tad tried to get Ruth to go to Holidays with him, but she refused to leave work. Work, she explained, might help her keep her mind off of her husband.

Dimitri delivered a bundle of magazines and newspapers to Edmund, but Edmund wasn't in the mood to read. He also turned away his lunch tray. Dimitri noticed that Edmund avoided using his right hand and deduced that the hand was badly injured. Dimitri summoned Ruth to the room and informed her that Edmund's hand was hurting. Ruth gave the hand a quick glance over and determined that Edmund should see an orthopedic surgeon.

Dimitri stepped out for a few minutes to tend to some additional plans for Maria's memorial. While he was gone, Edmund and Ruth had a heart-to-heart conversation. Edmund told Ruth that Maria was his "life" and that he didn't know how he could go on without her. Perhaps the statement hit a little too close to home for Ruth, but she was able to offer some sage advice. She told Edmund that Maria would live on in the children and that those children were the best gift that Maria could have given Edmund.

At Tempo, Laura begged Brooke to return home for some rest -- or at least to grab a bite to eat. Brooke refused and reminded Laura that Laura had a job interview in a few hours. Both women refused to do as the other asked. Finally Laura agreed to go to her interview -- but only if Brooke promised to eat something.

Skye entered the office a short time later, looking for the letter she had written to Edmund. She told Brooke that the envelope was marked "Confidential" and that it contained some very urgent material. Brooke was outraged by Skye's lack of concern for Edmund and Maria. Skye claimed that she was very worried about Edmund, but that she needed to take care of her work too. Suddenly Brooke recalled seeing a confidential letter in Maria's on-board luggage. Skye asked Brooke if she knew where the letter might be now. Skye's continued comments further upset Brooke. She said that had she known how important the letter was to Skye, she would have saved the diaper bag from the crash rather than saving Maddie

Jim was the next to arrive at Brooke's office. He asked her why she was not resting at home. Rather than answering, Brooke asked Jim if he had notified his family that he was okay. As Brooke had predetermined, Jim was a bit of a loner. He had no close ties to his family. Jim, on the other hand, also had a preformed idea about Brooke.

He said that he could tell that she had a tightly knit group of friends and family. She demonstrated this quality by nearly allowing herself to go over the cliff while trying to save Maria's life. Jim said that he was going to be leaving town soon because he was only in Pine Valley for business. Because of the crash, he had missed his assignment. It was revealed that Jim was a photographer, one who would take on any photo assignment just to make ends meet. Brooke asked Jim to return to her house to finish the discussion.

Kevin arranged for a picnic -- of sorts -- on the sun porch at Pine Valley Hospital. There he gave Kelsey a "Worry Bear," a stuffed animal designed under the gimmick that it had a willing ear to listen to one's problems. Kelsey was moved to tears as she thanked her friend for being there for her.

At Holidays, Laura told Scott that she felt "like a creep" for her reaction to the plane crash. While she felt bad for Maria's children for losing their mother, she was very thankful that Brooke had survived. Scott told her that her reaction was normal and that she was not a bad person for being glad that Brooke was alive.

Laura met with a gentleman from a youth services organization to discuss her candidacy for a job. Laura made the usual pleasantries and spoke very softly about her qualifications. The man wasn't impressed. He claimed that Laura was trying to ease her conscience by helping the less fortunate. The comment caused Laura to raise her voice and display a trace of her street savvy personality. She told the man that he was wrong to claim that she didn't care about the children. She said that she was fortunate to have succeeded and that she wanted all the kids to be able to get a better life for themselves.

The man smiled and said that he had been waiting for the real Laura Kirk to appear. He told her that she would need to be rough around the edges if she was going to succeed at the job. While he didn't make the final decision on who got hired, he said that she would definitely be his top candidate. After the interview concluded, she told Scott the good news.

Unknowingly he made a comment that sent Laura back to her days on the street. He told her that finally her past had helped her. Laura's mind drifted back to an encounter she'd had with Jim. He made a comment that Laura was doing whatever it took to get by and thanked her for her help. Laura told him that she never wanted to see him again. Jim smiled and said that they would definitely meet again.

Skye hovered outside Edmund's room, fearing that he might have read her letter. She knew that she'd be able to discern whether or not he'd read the letter by his reaction when she entered the room. So, toting a present, Skye strolled into the room. Edmund was relieved to see a friend and asked Skye not to tell him that she was "sorry" for his loss.

Skye presented Edmund with the gift -- a book of poetry. Edmund opened to the first poem and "heard" Maria's voice reading the poem. He then recalled one of Maria's favorite poems and paged through the book to find it. As he looked at the pages, his eyes couldn't focus on the words. Instead of seeing words, he saw nothing but fuzzy images and blurred pictures.

Ruth entered the room with Maddie, who had been dropped off by Mateo and Hayley. Edmund held his arms out to hold his daughter, his eyes still unable to focus. Tad burst into the room with good news. Joe had come out of surgery. The operation had been a "text book operation" with no complications. Ruth excused herself to go and be by her husband's side.

Skye moved into the background, uncomfortable about seeing Edmund and Madelyn together. Edmund rocked Maddie in his arms, telling her that he didn't know why her mommy had been taken away. Edmund said that he would "sell [his] soul to the devil" to make Maddie his biological child. That way, he would have a permanent reminder of the love he'd had with Maria. Skye's eyes welled with tears. She vowed to herself that she had to tell Edmund the truth about his daughter.